Melbourne businesses are lobbying supermarket giant Woolworths to overturn its decision to deny international nude crowd photographer Spencer Tunick access to one of its carparks for a photoshoot.

Tunick had planned to photograph thousands of nude Melburnians at the rooftop carpark at the supermarket's Prahran store on Chapel Street, in inner-city Melbourne.

The New York-based artist is famous for his photos of throngs of naked people in public places and has created a number of similar human installations, including one at the Sydney Opera House in 2010.

The local business group that invited Tunick to use the rooftop as a key feature in an upcoming Melbourne winter project said 10,000 people had already signed up to take part in the event.

"The plan was to showcase our beautiful area to the whole of the world," Chrissie Maus, the head of the Chapel Street Precinct Association, told ABC Radio Melbourne.

"The Woolworths carpark has this gorgeous view of the town hall clock … the beautiful cityscape in the background, and it would just be the absolute hero shot that would put Prahran on the map for the world for Spencer Tunick."

In a statement, Woolworths said the decision to turn down the request to host a photoshoot on its carpark was based on concern about the impact on weekend customers.

"We recently upgraded the rooftop car park at our Prahran store to make it more accessible and comfortable and its primary purpose is so our customers have convenient access to available car parking close to our store," a Woolworths spokesperson said.

"The request for the photo was for the weekend, which is the busiest time of the week for shopping in our stores, and as such we must ensure customers have convenient access to our store when we are open."

Ms Maus said reconnaissance work from the business group had found that there were usually around four cars using the carpark early on Saturday mornings.

She has started a petition urging the company to reconsider.

"This photo will go viral, not only in Australia, but right around the world," she said.

"This alone will help boost in-store sales."

Photo: Tunick has previously photographed over 5,000 nude Sydneysiders on the steps of the Sydney Opera House in 2010. (AAP: Dean Lewins)

In a statement, Tunick said he supported the petition to allow the photoshoot to go ahead.

"Working on the Woolworths Prahran rooftop car park provides an amazing opportunity to let the citizens of Melbourne become the artist themselves — to remind the citizens of Melbourne that Woolworths has a symbiotic relationship with them," he said.

"I would also like to note that, as a site-specific artist, I have a long record of working in some of the most iconic and historic locations in the world.

"I have had the opportunity to work in Grand Central Station in NYC, the Opera House in Brugge Belgium, and the Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC.

"I believe that this latest spot [in Melbourne] has something uniquely special about it … it's otherworldly."

Art or an opportunity for exhibitionists? Interesting that the businesses in the shopping centre are lobbying Woolworths to change their decision. It's all about money, but where do nude shoppers keep their money and credit cards?

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